Advanced features for preserving composite design intent. The new Rules-Driven, Structure-Based Design capability enables users to capture design intent and corporate standards to ensure the production of optimized and manufacturable composite structures by leveraging basic layout geometry and design rules. In addition, the breakthrough Volume Fill Composite Ply Development capability maintains the intent of engineers who are designing thick laminates by automating the creation of ply shapes to fill the area between the upper and lower surfaces, which dictate the shape of the part. This provides the most efficient and accurate development process available in the market today for turbine/rotor blades and other thick laminates.

Enhanced ability to design for manufacture of advanced materials and processes. New Multi-Layer Material Simulation provides insight into the drapability of non-crimp fabrics (NCF) or multi-axial materials, as well as the corresponding manufacturing processes, such as forming. This reduces the need for physical prototypes that result in costly scrap, and increases confidence that the as-built part will meet specifications.

An improved connection between design and analysis. Finite Element analysis (FEA) Interfaces with ANSYS Composite PrepPost (ACP), MSC Patran, NX Laminate Composites, BETA CAE Systems’ ANSA, and a generic BDF data format that maps all laminate properties to the finite element mesh. This continues Vistagy’s open strategy that enables users to choose best-in-class solutions ideally suited to their particular product and development process.

The industry’s first standardized 3D model-based representation. Advanced 3D CAD Integration that represents the composite part in the native CAD model format, conveying the elements of the part in a standard format and improving the communication of composite design data throughout the enterprise and extended supply chain.

New functionality for validating parts, including the ability to import machine paths from fiber placement NC software and an interface to drive automated ply verification (APV) inspection equipment that validates that the as-built part is representative of the as-designed/analyzed part. These capabilities ensure that at each step—from analysis, design, manufacturing, and quality—a part meets the original engineering specifications so costly manufacturing errors can be avoided.

An improved user experience. A redesigned user interface that is tailored to specific use cases, which puts key functionality at the users’ fingertips. With a shortage of skilled composite design engineers and aggressive program timelines, Fibersim 2010 was designed to be intuitive so new composite engineers could ramp up quickly.